Drum or screen drive and supporting means



' w. FERRls DRUM on SCREEN DRIVE AND SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Feb. 9. 1922 2 Sheets-Shee'b 1 INVENTOR: Mafia/Ferns.

' BY cyfla/ v ATM Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

cairn!) STATES PATENT, orrics.

HALTER FERR-IS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NOR TO BUCYRUS COMPANY, OF

SOUTH IVIILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

DRUM on scnnnn DRIVE Ann surroa'rrne Means.

Application filed February 9, 192 2. Serial No. 535,399.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I l/VALTER F ERRIS, a citizen of the United tates, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and" for use on placer dredges.

In the use of such screens it is customary to mount the same at an incline to the horizontal or to the deck 'of the dredge and to provide independent guide and supporting means for taking up the side and end thrusts at the lower end. It is therefore a primary object of this invention to simplify and improve such supporting means and eliminate a considerable number of heretofore necessary parts by utilizing a means for taking up both side and end thrusts.

It has also been heretofore customary to dispose the axis of the drive shaft of the screen parallel to the axis of the latter and thus at an incline to the dredge deck which necessitated the use of a train of bevel gears or other connecting elements between the motor or like drive machine and the drive shaft. Consequently it is another important object of the invention to-provide a drive means which will permit the drive shaft to be disposed parallel with the deck and at an angle to the screen axis to-thereby eliminate said bevel gear train or other c0nnectionsand permittinga direct drive from the motor or the like to. the drive shaft.

an additional object of the invention is to provide a friction gear connection between the screen and the drive shaft hereinbefore referred to, the faces of the parts of said friction gear connection being disposed obliquely to the axes of the screen and drive shaft respectively, whereby owing to the inclination of said screen, an effective friction engagement is maintained at all times between these parts.

This invention has fora further object to provide roller members so designed and constructed asrto receiveboth' the end and rotary member mounted and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the lower end of a placer dredge screen showing my improved means for receiving both the side and end thrust thereof as well as the means for driving the same;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 22 of F ig- Y ure 1 and showing one of the improved supporting means in plan View; 7

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a screen and the drive means therefor.

In the illustrated application of the invention' the reference character S represents a placer dredge screen which is substantially cylindrical throughout its length and open at'its opposite ends,.the same being mounted so that its axis of rotation is at an incline to the horizontal, or in other words to the plane of the deck of the dredgeQ While the intermediate portions of this,

screen are perforated as is customary in placer dredgescreenm the ends are imperfo rate rings, and in the present instance the ring at the lower end is providedwith a track annulus A, the same being secured therearound in any desired manner and including twoseparate parts, an annular friction drive surface a and an annular guide tracka; L r

' sisting ofuprig'ht bars F and F which are At this lower endof the screen S is disposed a suitable supporting framework conconnected below said screen by horizontal bars F the same in turn supporting horizontal bars F3. The upper portions ofthe upright bars 'Fand F are connecte'd on each side of the screen S with a pair of slide rails w, the rails of each of thesepairs being spaced apart parallel to. each other and inclined similarly to the inclination of the screen. In other words the axis of the latter and said rails to are parallel for a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly setforth.

The bars F have bearings B mounted thereon for the reception of the drive shaft 'K, this shaft havinga friction gear C mounted thereon betweensaid bars F as well asa s ur ear DJ As shown in Fi ure 8 the In carrying out this drive connection, the

friction drive surface a is oblique with respect to the axis of rotation of the screen S, or in other words converges toward the lower end of the latter. Likewise the peripheral' surface of the friction gear Cris oblique with respect to the axis of the shaft K and is converged in a direction similar to the convergence of the surface a. Thus the inclination of the friction surface a forming the gear ring of the screen S and Y the surface of the friction gear C, permit the inclined screen to be readily rotated by a shaft whose axis is substantially horizontal, and at the same time provides an improved and very effective fricti'on en 7 gagement. j

'Owing to the rotation of the screen S,

'- there is necessarilyqmore or less side thrust exerted, and owing to the inclination as well as the weight of the screen S, there will be a very appreciable end thrust at the lower end of the'latter. In the present'in stance both of these thrusts are'taken up 1 by means of a pair of thrnstrollers R,

which are located diametrically opposite each other on opposite sides of the annulus A and engaged with the annular guide track a thereof. This track has its face disposed obliquely with respect to the axis of rotation of the screen S, and consequently the axes of the trnnnions Tof the thrust rollersR are at an angle tothe said axis 7 of the screen. The peripheral surfaces ofthese rollers'are likewise disposed obliquely to their axes as most clearly indicated in FigureQ. r r

The hereinbefore mentioned slide rails '11; 7

form supporting means for roller brackets E each of which carriesa pairof spaced bracket arms E between which one of the rollers R is journaled. Each of said brack- I ets E includes a; slide pla'te'E which spans the rails to and is slidably engaged with the inner surfaces thereof, said plate being guided and positioned by lugs-e, andheld against movement by adjusting means car'- ried by it and the rails w. In other words the opposite. sides of the plates E to those from which the lugs 6 project are provided with ears/ i, and theseelementsreceivead justing screws 9 (see Figure 2). These screws 9 project froin opposite sidesof the plates-E parallel to the rails w and are extended throughv bracketsf carried by the V latter, these-screws being fixed to the brack-i etsby clamp nuts d, H

As the result of such an arrangement the diametrically arranged thrust rollers R receive both the end thrust and sidethrusts of the screen .S. Furthermore the-proper adjustment of the rollers R with respectto the inclined guide track a" isreadily car-, ried out by the simple shifting of the brack-a ets E which, after adjustment, are rigidly locked in position by the adjusting screws 9 and their lock nut cl.

Obviously many different arrangements of parts and changes n the construction;

thereof may be employed for carryinglout these features, as'wellj as the driving means for the screen S, without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Iclaim; V 1. In a mechanism of the class described,

a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one directionlongitudinally of :said axis, an annular guide track carried by the member, said track having bearing face disposed obliquely of *SalidflXlS, a stationary thrust rollerm'ount disposed adjacent the track, a thrustroller journaled in the'mount and engaging the "track face,"

and means for adjusting the mount parallel to the axis of the rotatable member to move 1 1 the rollertoward and away from thetrack V [1 20 2. In, a mechanism of the class described,

face, said roller receiving the side and end thrns'ts-ofthe member.

a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an annular guidetrack'ca rried by the member, said track having a bearing face disposed "obliquely of said axis, a.

stationary thrust roller mount'dispose'd aeljaceiit the track, a thrust roller 'journa led in the mount on an axis extending obliquely of the first mentionedv axis and engaging the oblique track face, and means for moving the mount substantially parallel to the first mentioned axis to adjust the engagement between the track face and the periphery of the roller, said roller receiving both the end and side thrusts of the member.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an annular guide track carried by the member, slide rails disposed adjacent said track, a slide plate shiftable on said rails, means for holding the plate in adjusted positions on the rails, and a thrust member carried by the plate for engaging the end of the track.

a. In a mechanism of the class described a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an annular guide track carried by the member, a pair of spaced parallel slide rails disposed adjacent the track, a slide plate spanning the rails and shiftable thereon, guide lugs projecting from the plate between the rails and engaging the same, means for adjusting the plate l0ngitudinally of the rails and for holding the same in adjusted positions, and a thrust member carried by the plate for engaging the annular track.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an annular guide track carried by the member, said track having a bearing face disposed obliquely of said axis, a pair of spaced parallel slide rails disposed adj acent the track and parallel with said axis, a slide plate spanning the rails and shiftable thereon, means for adjusting the plate longitudinally of the rails and parallel to said axis, and a thrust roller journally car ried by the plate and mounted on an axis extending obliquely of the first mentioned axis, said roller having its periphery engaged with the oblique track face and receiving both the end and side thrusts of the member.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis, an annular track carried by said member, diametrically opposed thrust rollers having their peripheries engaged with the track, and a main roller positioned beneath the rotatable member and having its periphery engaged with the track to support the weight of the rotatable member.

1. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis, an annular track carried by said member, diametrically opposed rollers having their peripheries engaged with the track to receive both the side and end thrusts of the rotatable member, a main roller having its periphery engaged with thetrack and supporting the weight of the rotatable member, and means for rotating the main roller. 1

8. In a mechanismof the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an. annular guide track carried by the member, said track having a bearing face disposed obliquely of said axis, a friction gear mounted beneath the member and having its periphery engaged with the track face to support the weight of the member, and means for rotating the friction gear, the angle between the track face and said axis being such that the urging of the member longitudinally in one direction increases the frictional engagement of the friction gear with the track face.

9. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis and urged in one direction longitudinally of said axis, an annular guide track carried by the member, said track having substantially flat bearing faces disposed obliquely of each other and of said axis, diametrically opposed rollers having their peripheries engaged with one track face to receive both the side and end thrusts of the member, a friction gear having its periphery engaged with the other track face and supporting the weight of the member, the angle between the track face engaged by the friction roller and said axis being such that end thrust in one direction increases the frictionally engagement between the friction gear and said track face, and means for rotating the friction gear.

10. In amechanism of the class described,

a member rotatable on a predetermined axis,

and an annular track carried by the member and having a bearing face engageable with the periphery of a thrust roller for receiving both the end and side thrusts of the member and a bearing face engageable with the periphery of a member Weight support ing roller.

11. In a mechanism of the class described, a member rotatable on a predetermined axis, and an annular track carried by the member and having a bearing face disposed obliquely of said axis and engageable with the periphery of a roller for receiving both the end and side thrusts of the member and a bearin face disposed obliquely of the first name bearing face and said axis and engageable with the periphery of a friction gear for supporting the weight of said member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and Stateof Wisconsin.

WALTER FERRIS. 

